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"Jesus Saves" Neon No More at United Artists?

A crew from Chief Sign Company removes one of the neon "Jesus Saves" signs from atop Broadway's United Artists Theatre.

DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES — The twin pair of neon "Jesus Saves" that have been a familiar part of the skyline since 1935 may have shed their last light over Downtown.

As of 9:30pm on Saturday, a crew from Chief Sign Company was busy strapping one of the two signs onto a truck for transport as glass tubes lay shattered around the Hill Street parking lot. Those working would not give any information about where the historic neon might be headed.

As blogdowntown documented last year, the first sign went up on February 17, 1935, atop the north dormitory of the Bible Institute of Los Angeles' campus at 6th and Hope. The second was added later atop the south dormitory.

The signs were placed atop the former United Artists theatre building in 1989 by Dr. Gene Scott.